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The last time I visited Buena Vista, Virginia was 1969. Our family had been vacationing in Douthat State Park and we were awakened in the wee hours by a park ranger and told to get out immediately due to extreme flooding. Hurricane Camille had visited overnight and the torrential rains had washed out several roads and bridges in the mountains. Quickly, my parents, three brothers and myself gathered up our possessions and loaded up the 1957 Cadillac and headed home. Driving home down US Highway 60, we stopped in Buena Vista and had lunch.

That was 1969. I didn’t know how to identify Sears Homes back then.

My parents, having lived in California for much of their life, always called this little town “Bwayna Vista.”

Since we started planning our trip to western Virginia some months ago, my husband and I have had an ongoing argument as to the proper pronunciation of Buena Vista. I say it’s Bwayna Vista. He says it Byoona Vista. We compromised by calling it “BV.”

Nonetheless, here’s a perfect Sears Cedars in BV, VA. Incredibly, it still has its little garden gate (far left). What a perfect match!